Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-13

too sadly well. She had been brood
ing desperately over this state Of things
when her fathers exclamation sum-
moned her to his side.
What should she do-what could
she do?" she had been asking herself.
Her one sole accomplishment was to
sing. and she had never sung as vet
for any one but her father. Her voice
was not strong enough to sing in pub
lie, he had always said. In truth, he
had been too. jealousy careful of his
delicate blossom of girl ever to con-
template for her fate which would
compel her to struggle with the world.
He had trained her very thoroughly.
however, vaguely thinking that ''if the
| worst came to the worst, she could
teach or something" ''Or something
is the stronghold of dreamers, but dur
seemed but desperate refuge to Hans
Brcydel. And yet he did not guess
that already 1.-THE worst was at his
door. That very morning the landlady
had called Minna out, and asked for
she last months rent, which there was
no money to pay.
Il don't want to be ha.d" The wom-
and said. land you've always paid
punctual up to now. I'll wait week
or two longer. but more than that l
can not say. I'm poor woman. as
lives by her dodgers"
'Oh, I'll get some money. sOme-
how" Minna answered.: aud then she
had come back into the room with her
father. and sat ut the window watch
ing the hot, sleeping children in the
back street below; watching them, yet
taking no sense of any thing, bese: by
the one awful question: What could she
do to keep a roof over their hcads-to
give her father food and care until he
should get better?
The glaring sunlight shonc down ON
the heat-strickcn, Iistless world. 1t
seemed to shrivel up all hopes, ell illu-
siOns; to force her to contemplate the
bare and terrible facts of life. Where
should she turn for aid or counsel?
Her baff1ed thoughts seemed to 90 up
and down purposeless on the wretchcd
treatlmill of her anxious questioning,
till her fathers exclamation broke tho
evil spell, and she FASTENED to him,
glad of the interruption. She took up
a fan and waved it to and fro, hut that
seemed only to make the musician
nervous.
''Sit down." he said; '.sit down.
dear heart, and sing. 1t may help me
to forget the heat And want also to
see what you can do
The girl obeyed. Her fresh young
voice rose on the heavy, heated air;
a soaring voice. clear and sweet, con-
quering for the moment her father list
lessaess and discomfort.
''Lieber Gott," he cried, shear her!
1t is voice of silver. Yes. she shall
sing herself into the heart of the world,
and it shall be good to her. but not
yet-not vet. Sing yet once more the
song that mine old friend wrote for me.
He is great man now, that Richard
Wagner. who loved me and whom l
loved i'll the far old days. Sing that
song he wrote that day When, in the
Black Forest. we had been glad togeth-
or. he and ]. and had talked about the
future. which we thought would be all
of success and of glory-the song that
he put our hopes and our dreams into
sing"
A Sudden thought flashed into Min
mas anxious heart-a hope so sudden
that it almost made her brcathlcss. A
door seemed to open all ut once.
% Father" she said, che is in Lon
don. even now. Let me go to him!
He loved you once; he will hep YOU
now"
Help Hans Breydel cried, hot
ly. raising himself in his bed as he
spoke. "Help! will have none of
his help. We will help ourselves and
each other. Shall ], who walked in
the old days by Richard Wagner's
side. grovel at his feet now; /, who
have failed. at his feet. who has sue
cceded? Not SO; not so; but sing me
yet once more his song, my hearts
Minna."
And Minna sang. The clear, SWEET
voice uttered its cry of music. and one
outside the door heard.
When the song was over, DIR. Green
field, who had been. listening to it from
without. came in. and made his visit
to Hans Breydel. When he left. he
beckoned Minna out, and spoke to her
in the entry.
He will never get well in this
place." he said. gravely. He needs
to be taken out of this hot air, this
close little room. He needs change:
sea air, good food. all sorts of things
that he lacks here
And at that, Minna cried out, i'm
patiently:
''Why not say he needs dukedom.
a palace? There is as much chance of
it as of what you say he must have"
''Yet it must be had. somehow.
That voice of yours ought to help. l
don't quite see the way yet: I must |
think. l shall come again tomorrow"
When he had gone down stairs.
Minna Brevdel returned to her
thoughts. He had said that voice of |
hers ought to do something. At any |
rate. it was their only hope. What |
could she do9 She could not get |
scholars in moment, end if she had |
them, how could she leave her father !;
while she taught them? |
And yet she must, must do something.
There was no hope of even a roof |